Game device



March 31, 1936. J, w P 2,035,638

GAME DEVICE Filed Feb. 6, 1955 f/a-d.

45. V 1 i 4a INVENTOR.

JO/IN. 14/. 601/? ATTORNEY.

Patented Mar. 31, 1936 UNITED STATES T OFFICE 12 Claims.

The invention relates to-a game device of the type "wherein a gameplaying-elementis 'moved in'a compartment and permitted to come-to restat anyone of a plurality of points or goals in the compartment-saidgoals having Various value indicating symbols or indicia associatedtherewith and corresponding to values employed in the playing of a"game.

The primary object of the invention is to provide a device of thischaracter wherein a housing contains a plurality of "independentchambers, one within the plan outline of the other, and each containinga. game playing element and provided with goals with which areassociated symbols related to each other, whereby the symbols designatedby the elements in all compartments may be combined to indicate acomposite value.

A further object is toiprovide a device of this character provided witha plurality of independent chambers disposed one above the other withthe size thereof progressively decreasing from the upper to the lower,and each chamber being provided with a transparent cover portion wherebythe interior of each chamber is visible.

A further object is to provide a device of this character provided witha. plurality of independent chambers disposed one above the other with aportion of the bottom of each forming the top of the one next below,said portion being Figures 1 and 2 thereof which illustrate thepreferred embodiment of-the invention, the numeral I0 designates ahousing of hollow, generally semispherical shape. The housing ispreferably formed of rubber and is provided at the center of its outersurface with a concavity I l at whose perimeter the housing is normallysupported to position the upper edge thereof in a horizontal plane. Thehousing is provided adjacent its upper endwith an interior groove inwhich a disc *c1osure or cover 12 formed of glass or other relationbelow-said cover, the housing wall portion l6 and a base portion l1"off-set transparent material removably fits. In spaced I0 is providedat its interior-with asecondgroove "I 3 extending in a plane parallel tothe supporting perimeter Ofconcavity ll of the" same. '--In'this groove[3 fits-a circular partition M. The cross sectional configuration ofpartition 14 is best illustratedin Figure 2, the outer portion Hithereof beingdished; and the central portion thereof being ofcup shapeand comprising a cylindrical below -the lower portion l5, said Wallportion l6 and base portion I! "being concentric of member M. The wallportion l6-prrojects above the dished portion -l5'-at the juncturethereof, as illustratedat 1-8. A transparent closure or cover I9 issecured at its margin, as by adhesive, to the upper edge of portion 18of -wall IS in spaced relation below cover l2, whereby an-independentclosed chamber is provided thereby in co-njunc--- tionwithwall portion[6 and base portion I! of member 'l i. The juncture of portions l5 and.I8 of'member I4 is of generally concave crosssectional shape asillustrated at' 20, and is interrupted by-a plurality of radiallyextending; ribs 2| ior'purposes to :be hereinafter set forth. The uppersurface of base portion ll of member is of generally dished shape and isprovided with a central upward projection22 of substantially squareoutline whose-side portions are 30 vertically and horizontally concaved.

The device is thus provided with a pair of closed chambers; being alarge upper chamber defined'by'disc I2, the upper'portion of hous- 'ingI'D, portion '15 of member 14 and transparent 35 20 between any twoadjacent ribs 2 lwhich form a plurality of receiving pockets or goalstherefor, and *the ball "in the lower chamber coming to restagainst oneof the goal-forming sides of the central upwardly'projecting portion not50 base 11. "Each of the goals at which each ball maycome to rest hasvisually associated therewith a' symbol or indicium 24, as bestillustrated in Figure 1, imposed on portion-"l5 of member 14 and on basel1, respectively. I "55 be determined.

These symbols and indicia 24 designate a value for the positions atwhich the balls come to rest, and the indicia for the upper chamber ispreferably related to the indicia in the lower chamber so that theposition assumed by the two balls 23 will be readable together toindicate a composite value, as for instance, the value and suit of onecardof a deck.

In use, the device is placed upon a horizontal surface and then tippedand released. The casing isso shaped that it normally tends to assumethe position illustrated in Figure 2 when released, accompanied by apreliminary rocking move: ment. balls 23 to roll from side to side ofthe chambers and generally also to circle about, the side walls thereofin an erratic undeterminable movement. Soon after the device has. cometo rest in the illustrated operative position, the momentum of the ballsis expended and they will come to rest at one of the goals as previouslydescribed after moving centrally from the outer wall-under the influenceof the dished shape of the bottom of each chamber, whereupon thecomposite value indicated by the position of the two balls may One ofthe. attractive features of the device is that operation thereof maycause the two balls to move circularly in opposite directions. Also,where the housing is formed of rubber, the device may be operated bysimply dropping it upon a horizontal surface, which causes the balls tomove in their respective chambers as described. Also, it will beunderstood that more than two compartments or chambers may be providedin the device, by utilizing the principle of construction andarrangement of parts above described.

In Figure 3 is illustrated a modified embodiment of the device wherein adevice of the same or an equivalent construction to that abovedescribedis mounted for circular agitation in a horizontal plane. In thisembodiment the housing ID of the device-is mounted in operative positionupon a suitable standard comprising a base 38 and an upright shaft 3|. Asocket 32 is carried centrally by the base of housing H! and isjournaled on shaft 3|. A spring 33 is coiled around shaft 3| and issecured at its opposite ends to base 30 and socket 32. The base ispreferably provided with a stop 34 with which a stop 35 carried bysocket 32 is engageable. At its upper end the housing lllis providedwith a projecting handle 36. Thus, to operate the device, the housingIll is.rotated by means of handle 36 against the action of spring 33 andis then released; whereupon the spring reversely rotates said housing,which reverse rotation is stopped upon interengagement of stop members34 and 35, so that the balls are agitatedand caused to move in theirrespective chambers as above described.

In Figure 4 the invention has been illustrated as applied to a coincontrolled game device of the type well understood in the art. In thisembodiment of the invention a rectangular horizontally positionedhousing 43 is provided with a transparent cover and the game board isprovided vwith the two concentric chambers 4| and 42 which arepositioned with one-abovethe level of the other and with thesameindependent from each other. The upper chamber 4| has communicatingtherewith a run-way 43 extending tangentially thereto; --and the lowerchamber 42 .has a similar tangential run-way 44 communieating therewith;Each of these chambers is formed in the generalshape and arrangement ofThis agitation of the device causes the the respective chambers of thepreferred form of the device as described above by the provision ofdished bottoms therefor, but are provided with a plurality of openings45 through the portion of the game board forming the bottoms of therespective chambers, and these openings are provided with normallyclosed trap doors, as is well understood in the art. Indicia 46 areimposed on the game board adjacent each opening 45 as above described.The housing 40 is provided with suitable spring pressed plungers 41extending into run-ways 43 and 44 for projecting balls 48 fed thereto bymanually operable members 49 upon release of the balls from the gameboard by opening of the trap doors energized by the coin chute 50, allas is well understood in the art. In this device each ball isindependently manually propelled through the run-ways to the respectivechambers, whereby a modicum of control of the particular goal at whichthe ball comes to rest rests withthe player, which is, attractiveinasmuch as it makes the same a test of skill as well as luck. Also,with a device of this character, more than one ball or game playingelement may be used in each chamber, though the relationship of thecharacter of the indicia to give a composite score from the readings ofall thereof is preferably retained.

It will therefore be seen that with a device of this character and theuse of related indicia therein, a small device is usuable to obtain avery large number of score values which is the product of the number ofgoals for the game playing elements in the chambers, thus affording awide range of values in a comparatively small and simple device.

The invention having-been set forth, what is claimed as new and usefulis:

1; In a game device, a hollow substantially semi-spherical housinghaving a central support ing surface for normally maintaining saidhousing in balanced position, a transparent cover for said housing, adished partition spaced below said cover and formed in part by acentrally disposed upwardly off-set transparent portion,

a cup member depending centrally from said partition below. saidtransparent partition portion and having a dished bottom, a game playingelement of a dimension less than the smallest dimension of the chamberformed by said cup and freely shiftable in said cup, and a game playingelement of a dimension less than the spacing of said cover andtransparent partition and freely shiftable on said partition, said cupand partition having pockets formed therein adjacent the centers thereofto which said game playing eleof said partition and spaced below saidfirst cover,-a game playing element of; a dimensionless than thesmallest dimension of the" chamber formed by said cup and freelyshiftable in said cup, a game playing element of a dimension, less thanthe spacing of said covers and freely shiftable on said partition, thebase of said cup being dished and having a plurality of game elementreceiving pockets formed centrally therein, said partition having aplurality of game element receiving pockets formed therein adjacent theedge of said cup cover.

3. In a game device, an agitatable housing having a transparent cover, adished partition spaced below said cover having a central transparentportion, a cup member depending centrally from said partition below saidtransparent portion and having a dished bottom, a game playing elementsmaller than the space between said cover and transparent partitionportion freely shiftable on said partition and between said cover andtransparent partition portion, a game playing element freely shiftablein said cup, said partition and cup bottom each having a plurality ofgame element receiving pockets formed therein, and means for directingeach game element into one of said pockets.

4. In a game device, a housing having a transparent cover, a dishedpartition spaced below said cover having a central transparent portion,a cup member depending centrally from said partition below saidtransparent portion and having a dished bottom, a game playing elementfreely shiftable on said partition and of a size small enough to passbetween said cover and central transparent portion, a game playingelement freely shiftable in said cup, said partition and cup bottom eachhaving a plurality of pockets formed therein.

5. In a game device, a housing having a transparent cover, a dishedpartition spaced below said cover having a central transparent portionproviding a compartment, a cup member depending from said partitionbelow said transparent portion and having a dished bottom providing asecond compartment, a game playing element in each compartment, each ofsaid game elements being of a size less than the smallest dimension ofits compartment and a plurality of means in each compartment adjacentthe center thereof for receiving said game playing eleand a plurality ofmeans in each compartment for receiving said game elements.

7. In a game device, a housing having a transparent cover, means in saidhousing forming an upper chamber and a lower chamber of smaller sizedisposed centrally below said upper chamher, said means including atransparent member spaced below said housing cover to form a cover forsaid lower chamber and a portion of the bottom of said upper chamber, agame playing element freely shiftable in each chamber, and acomparatively small plurality of means in each chamber for receivingsaid game elements, the last named means in said upper chamber beingpositioned in outwardly spaced relation to the cover of said lowerchamber.

8. In a game device, a housing having a transparent cover, means in saidhousing forming independent chambers one above the other, a game playingelement freely shiftable in each chamher, and a plurality of means ineach chamber for receiving said game elements, a portion of the meansforming the bottom of the upper of said chambers being transparentwhereby both of said chambers forming a cover for said lower chamber andare visible, said last named transparent portionbeing spaced below saidhousing cover to permit the game element in the upper chamber to passthereover.

9. In a game device, a housing having a trans parent cover and providedwith a pair of chambers, one of said chambers being disposed below andWithin the vertical outline of the other and having a transparent coverspaced below said housing cover to render said lower chamber visible', agame playing element freely shiftable in each chamber, the game elementin the upper chamber being shiftable in the space between saidtransparent covers and a plurality of goals in each chamber at anundetermined one of which each game element will come to rest.

10. In a game device, a housing, means in said housing providing aplurality of chambers disposed one above the other and including atransparent portion in the cover of each chamber, a game playing elementshiftable in each chamber, the upper game element being shiftablebetween said transparent portions, and a plurality of goals in eachchamber at an undetermined one of which each playing element will cometo rest, the goals of one chamber being spaced vertically and laterallyfrom the goals of the other chamber.

11. In a game device, a housing, means in said housing including atransparent portion and providing a plurality of visible concentricchambers disposed one above the level of the other, a game playingelement shiftable over the entire area of the base of each chamber, anda plurality of goals in each chamber for said game elements, one of saidchambers projecting laterally beyond the other with the goals thereof insaid projecting portion.

12. In a game device, a housing, means in said housing providing aplurality of visible concentric chambers disposed one above the level ofthe other and separated by a transparent member, a plurality of goals ineach chamber, game playing elements, and means for shifting at least onegame element in each chamber for reception by one of said goals, thegame element in the upper chamber being shiftable on said transparentpartition.

JOHN W. CULP.

